Do 'sliders' slide and 'tensioners' tension?

An analysis of neurodynamic techniques and considerations regarding their application is done by Coppieters MW in journal of manual therapy, Australia (2008).
This study was a cadaveric biomechanical study. It measured longitudinal excursion and strain in the median and ulnar nerve at the wrist and proximal to the elbow during different types of nerve gliding exercises.
The results confirmed the clinical assumption that 'sliding techniques' result in a substantially larger excursion of the nerve than 'tensioning techniques' (e.g., median nerve at the wrist: 12.6 versus 6.1mm, ulnar nerve at the elbow: 8.3 versus 3.8mm), and that this larger excursion is associated with a much smaller change in strain (e.g., median nerve at the wrist: 0.8% (sliding) versus 6.8% (tensioning)).

The findings demonstrate that different types of nerve gliding exercises have largely different mechanical effects on the peripheral nervous system. Hence different types of techniques should not be regarded as part of a homogenous group of exercises as they may influence neuropathological processes differently.

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